and her egyptian counterpart announced the deal to end hostilities and greater cooperation between israel and gaza in the near future. >> the united states welcomes the agreement today for a cease-fire in gaza, for it to hold, the rocket attacks must end. a broader calm returned. the people of this region deserve the chance to live free from fear and violence and today's agreement is a step in the right direction that we should build on. >> this news comes after more than a week of violence that claimed 140 palestinian and 5 israeli lives. obviously, this day belongs to the israelis and palestinians. but americans should also look at today as proof that we got it right on election day. i want you to take a look at that scene again. that moment lasted just a few minutes. but it represents a week of slow, deliberate diplomacy by the president, secretary clinton and obama's foreign policy team. and a lot of patience. there was no sabre rattling, no caustic words, no cheap shots. for that you needed to turn to the republicans. >> if this god forbid conflict escalates, again, it is a sign of a